Yeshivas Chofetz Chaim: Rabbinical Seminary of America

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Yeshivas Chofetz Chaim: Rabbinical Seminary of America (RSA) or Yeshivas Rabbeinu Yisrael Meir Ha-Kohen, or Yeshivas Chofetz Chaim and often referred to as just Chofetz Chaim (חָפֵץ חַיִּים) is a major Orthodox yeshiva in the United States based in Kew Gardens Hills, Queens, New York. It is primarily an American, Lithuanian-style Talmudic Haredi but non-Hasidic yeshiva.

It has a branch in the Sanhedria Murchevet section of Jerusalem, and many affiliates located throughout North America and beyond.

The yeshiva is named in memory of Rabbi Yisroel Meir Kagan known as the Chofetz Chaim (חָפֵץ חַיִּים) his pen name for his book about avoiding slander Chafetz Chaim which means "Seeker/Desire [of] Life" in Hebrew. The school's official Hebrew name is Yeshivas Rabbeinu Yisrael Meir Ha-Kohen, using the Chafetz Chaim's real name.

The yeshiva was established in 1933 by Rabbi Dovid Leibowitz a disciple of Rabbi Nosson Tzvi Finkel ("The Alter of Slabodka"). He also studied under Rabbi Naftoli Trop and the aforementioned Chofetz Chaim in the Radin yeshiva. Both of these were in the area of Lithuania. However, for a time Radin was governed by the Polish.

Since the passing of Rabbi Dovid Leibowitz in December of 1941 (students have noted that they found out about the attack on Pearl Harbor when they returned from the funeral), the Chofetz Chaim yeshiva has been headed and developed by his son, Rabbi Henoch Leibowitz as its Rosh yeshiva ("dean").

1 History
2 Characteristics
3 Affiliates and branches
4 See also
5 External links

[edit] History

Rabbi Yisroel Meir Kagan, who died in the latter part of 1933, was Rabbi Leibowitz's great-uncle, and thus the yeshiva was named for him in that year. The Yeshiva started out in Williamsburg, Brooklyn and later relocated to Forest Hills, Queens, and more recently, to Kew Gardens Hills, Queens.

Yeshiva Chofetz Chaim houses a boys yeshiva high school, an undergraduate yeshiva, and a rabbinical school that grants ordination. Rabbinical students at Chofetz Chaim Yeshiva often spend a decade or more at the Yeshiva, studying a traditional yeshiva curriculum focusing on Talmud, Mussar ("ethics"), and Halakha ("Jewish law").

[edit] Characteristics

There are four primary characteristics of this Yeshiva that distinguish it from others in its genre:

There is an emphasis upon unfolding the latent processes of reasoning within the steps of the Talmudic sugya ("section" being studied). The methodology employed by this yeshiva places emphasis on the notion that the initial assumptions of the Talmud must be highly rigorous, and that the movement between the initial thought process (known as the hava aminah) of the Talmudic sugya to the final thought process (known as the maskana) must be fully unfolded and understood.
The yeshiva's approach to ethical and Biblical texts and its commentaries emphasize a rigor that other yeshivas of their genre generally reserve to Halakhic or Talmudic texts alone. The yeshiva promotes the idea that ideally a deduction from these texts should be muchrach meaning "logically and textually compelling." This approach yields a convincing discourse on Torah that is "well-grounded". Orthodox Judaism believes that the rabbinic sages that lived years ago had a greater grasp of the Torah and God's intent. This is because the earlier in time a sage lived, the less time had passed since the Jews received the Torah at Mount Sinai. Therefore, if a modern scholar can answer logical questions about a section of a commentary that was written by a sage that lived many years ago (the Ramban for example who lived 800 years ago) by making a muchrach deduction, the modern scholar can justifiably prove that this was the opinion of that great sage. Any insights into understanding the Torah viewpoint, ethical behavior and proper conduct that stem from this deduction have the "backing" of that famed sage and therefore the lessons learned are much more potent (since that sage from an earlier age was closer to the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai). However, if the modern scholar proposes a novel answer to the question that is not muchrach (meaning there are other equally logical alternative answers) then that answer is his opinion alone and the effect of any lesson derived from that answer is weakened due to the possibility that the answer may or may not be the intent of that earlier famed sage.
The study of Mussar ("ethics"), both by attending and reviewing semiweekly lectures (that are presented in the well-grounded method described above) and through daily individual study of Mussar texts, is strongly emphasized. Rabbi Dovid Leibowitz founded the Chofetz Chaim yeshiva in the footsteps of his rebbe, the Alter of Slabodka, and Rabbi Yisroel Salanter, the founder of the Mussar movement. Through the study of mussar one may hope, over many years, to improve character traits by increasing self-awareness and self-control. Rabbi Henoch Leibowitz, the current Rosh Yeshiva, continually reminds his students that as important as it is to become a lamden ("analytical scholar") and a great pedagogue, it is even more important to become a mentch ("a good human being").
The yeshiva places an emphasis upon propagating the ideals and values of Judaism. Upon completion of a rigorous term of study students are encouraged to seek employment in the field of Jewish education, often launching their own educational institutions themselves or with a partner. Hundreds (possibly thousands) of alumni have gone on to become religious instructors, synagogue rabbis, education and outreach coordinators, community leaders, and organizational officials.

[edit] Affiliates and branches

Besides the main campus in Queens, the Chofetz Chaim Yeshiva currently has affiliate schools in every major region in the United States. Each city/town/borough listed below has one or more Chofetz Chaim affiliates. There is a Chafetz Chaim Yeshiva in Dallas, TX, also referred to as the Texas Torah Institute.

Listed by region (going clockwise from North East to North Central) they are:

North East: Brooklyn, Staten Island, Cedarhurst, Roslyn, Monsey, Rochester and Huntington, NY

Central East (or more commonly known as Mid-Atlantic): Cherry Hill and Manalapan, NJ.

South East: Yeshiva Toras Chaim North Miami beach, FL

South Central: Dallas, TX

South West: Los Angeles and San Diego, CA

North West (or more commonly known as Pacific Northwest): Vancouver, BC, Canada

North Central (or more commonly known as Midwest): Milwaukee, WI

There are also two locations in Israel: A branch in Jerusalem and an affiliate in Ramat Bet Shemesh.